Missing Offspring

Wikipedia is a wonder of the age. Anyone can find just about anything about anyone. Information is at one’s fingertips. This became apparent when a young man, whose family once had a connection with Cane Hill Hospital, checked out the entry in Wikipedia to discover Pam Buttrey’s well researched book on its history.

Often though, there are gaps, such as the life history of Simon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt (1661-1727), reputedly, Queen Anne’s favourite Lord Chancellor. It mentions his first wife Rebecca Clark, but nothing about their three children.

For the record, they were: Anne Harcourt (1682-1733), she married John Barlow of Slebech, Pembrokeshire; His heir Simon Harcourt (1684-1720), married Elizabeth, the daughter of John Evelyn of Wotton, Surrey, and lastly,

Arabella Harcourt (1685-1749) who married Herbert Aubrey of Clehonger, Herefordshire.

The story of Arabella and Herbert, and how the rich and famous Lord Harcourt interfered in their lives, is told in Silk & Sons, the second in the trilogy that traces the history of the Aubreys of Clehonger.